With its release approaching soon, we got our hands on an early preview of Twohands Games’ newest title Champion Strike: Crypto Arena, a branching title from the original Champion Strike: Hero Clash. Though the new subtitle is perplexing, the base game seems to be untouched as the game played exactly like the pre-existing version of the game.
Ever since the advent of concepts like web3, blockchain, and NFT-related endeavors being spit-balled into the gaming market, the term Play & Earn (PnE) has been played around by numerous companies trying to jump on the newest bandwagon. While drawing in some skeptical eyes from their user base, the prospect of a new kind of monetization in gaming has become increasingly prevalent in recent years.
This is where the newest announcement by the developers of the popular mobile RTS/MOBA title Champion Strike comes into the story. In their own announcement earlier, Twohands Games showed off their update roadmap on their Facebook page expressing gratitude and support for the mobile MOBA title. In their own words, the PnE version is similar to the original. However, since there will be a new in-game currency, game balance, and contents, we are preparing to launch it separately from the original”.
▍Join Real-Time Strategic Battle with the Unique Champions!
In Champion Strike: Crypto Arena, players are set in a 1v1 duel for each match, with either side controlling a single champion and having a set of unit cards that act as minions/critters in other more contemporary MOBA titles. Each unit summoned incurs a cost, which is designated at the bottom of the screen, with more advanced units costing more in comparison to small fries.
Each player’s objective lies in breaking the two towers set up on either side of the arena. Though they are able to fire shots to repel minor threats, these towers are easily torn down if not reinforced by units defending them. Overwhelm your opponents by using an array of units differentiated by rolls and magic cards that can turn the tables in one fell swoop.
Balancing offense and defense is key in staying on top of the battle as players must manage their own cost meters when engaging their opponents. Go on an all-out offensive on one side might leave your bases wide open for your enemy to sneak in some units of theirs to your own base!
A certain level of deck building goes into the strategy of things, as players are able to make their own team compositions out of the large roster of units and magic cards. Combine together 8 cards to go along with your Champion card to make up a deck that can be brought on to battle others.
Play against others in quick match sessions and if you fancy, reach for the top in their own ranked matches that give out rewards for each successful rank-up.
▍It’s Time to Realize Play & Earn!
So you might be wondering, what’s so different about this new version of Champion Strike and if it’s worth the changes. You might be surprised to hear that outside of the addition of the new currencies, the main core gameplay is kept intact in the Champion Strike: Crypto Arena version. This version of the game even features some minor upgrades in comparison to the Hero Clash version, like roulette prizes being handed out at the in-game store.
Integrating the Wemix blockchain-based global gaming platform, the game features two extra currencies named Stars and Strico. How it seems to work is that the Stars are the in-game currency that can be used to substitute Rubies, which are the currency used in the original version of the game. Stars are also given out upon successfully leveling up champions as well as allowing players to gain the currency through normal play to some degree.
Strico on the other hand is the format that Twohands Games explains, as the way in which “The real world and Champion Strike are connected”. Being the currency connected to the Wemix platform, this currency is most likely the way in which the system is being integrated into the game. The developers expect players to be able to turn a profit while playing the game by turning any earned stars within the game into these digital assets.
New game features added to the new version of Champion Strike include ‘Star Battle’, where players chip in said Stars as an entry fee to match up against opponents. At the end of the match, the winner of the match is given the entire pot as a reward in a winner-takes-all ruling. Additionally, a new spectate mode is also added to the game, allowing other players not involved in the match to bet on the winner in what the developers have rather bluntly named the “Winner Prediction System”.
Within Champion Strike: Crypto Arena’s own store page, the tab where players can watch advertisements to gain small sums of rubies is still there like the base game. More importantly, is the addition of a roulette button that gives out prizes such as gold, rubies, and the aforementioned star currencies as its rewards as well. Players are able to purchase rubies through normal in-app purchases as well, though the stars are always there as an extra that can be used in replacement of rubies.
▼Lucky Spin Prizes are subject to change.
▍Champion Strike: Crypto Arena is Grabbing the Gaming Trend!
The concept of Play & Earn and NFT has been on the trend in recent years. The fact that you can earn NFT assets and also participate in combats at battle royale arenas is intriguing enough for players to dive into Champion Strike: Crypto Arena. Though it remains to be seen how the game will be balanced for different gamers considering that there are now two different currencies for the game. The newly developed Champion Strike: Crypto Arena is set to launch soon, albeit with no particular release date set in stone as of this writing.
